Yesterday, more than 60 000 people marched in the capital for the “National Day of Action” to demand President Jacob Zuma step down.

But yesterday also saw another landmark – it was dear Zuma’s 75th birthday.

Donning his iconic green, yellow and black ANC leather jacket, the ANC hosted a celebration for Zuma, who found himself surrounded by the people who are most devoted to him: thousands of ANC supporters.

Addressing the crowd at Kliptown, Soweto, Zuma took the chance to touch on a few issues that many people have been wondering about.

From News24, here’s what he had to say on…:

..being president:

There is a few more months left before my task as president ends. In December, a new president will be elected. I don’t know who it will be, the ANC will elect.

In 2019, I will take off my hat being the state president. I want to tell you that even if you said tomorrow I should step down from these positions, I would do so with a clean heart. I want to tell you my leaders that I will be a member of the ANC until I die. I won’t demand a salary because I will be a pensioner and I will work very hard.

…name calling:

I have seen people come and go, I have seen heroes come and go, I have also seen heroes become cowards. I have seen people who said they would die for the nation changing. I have seen people who were taught politics fade into obscurity.

There are people today who do not know that we grew up being called names, they think when they call us names today we will hurt. No, we are used to being called names.

He said those that called him names suffered from a white people’s disease: stress.

I do not have stress. In the Zulu nation, stress does not exist, you can go to a traditional healer asking to be healed from stress, but they do not have muti for stress.

…the marches:

I do not want you to panic but there will be those who panic when the opposition talk the way they are talking. In reality they are just doing their job.

They are meant to disagree with what others are doing, if they don’t then they are not the opposition.

He said even if he sneezed or coughed, it would make headlines.

They will say, he must step down, he does not respect people. Do not be surprised when you see them in Parliament saying ‘point of order’. They are trying to stop us from speaking to our people. Democracy allows for debates to takes place.

There was, of course, also the singing of ‘Happy Birthday’:

Was it just me, or were the Guptas nowhere to be seen? Probably still enjoying their time in the Mother City.

[source:reuters&timeslive&news24]